Things to Do and Not Do in Twilight Fanfics
by ElSapoLoco
Summary: Some things that bug me to no end and some things that a lot of writers should work on.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: No, I don't actually own Twilight. **

**Things to Do and Not Do in Twilight Fanfics**

Never, ever, ever say that you are not a good writer in a summary. It's one thing to have modesty, but if you're saying you suck, people most likely will not read your story.

CAPITALIZE! This bugs me to no end. How hard is it to push the little button labeled "Shift"?

Use spell check. 'Nuff said.

If you do not have good grammar, get a BETA. Most SpellCheck doesn't check grammar.

Make sure you have your commas in the right place. Yes, they do go around peoples' names.

Use apostrophes! They are used to show possession or put two words together. Learn where they belong.

Proofread! Everyone makes mistakes, and you don't always catch them right away. It helps to come back a few hours after you write.

In the sentence, "'No,' Bella said," make sure you have a comma after whatever the character says. It's a continuation of the same sentence.

Like the first one, never say that you suck at summaries. This will lead your readers to believe that you suck at writing in general.

Lastly, try not to put something up and take it down just as fast. Readers will get their alerts and then wonder where the chapter is.

That's it for the first installment of "Things to Do and Not Do in Twilight Fanfics."

(Just a heads up for those of you who read "Unexpected Change of Plans," don't worry, I haven't abandoned you. I've had a really hard time writing lately, and an even harder time finding the time to type it up. I'll try and get another chapter up this week.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

**Apparently what I intended to be helpful sounds mean. I'm not trying to sound that way, but if you're offended, don't read it.**

Don't make Bella pregnant unless you have a real reason as to how she could have gotten that way. Vampires are sterile, so unless you can come with a good idea as to how that could happen, it doesn't work very well.

After Bella gets turned into a vampire, think about what powers you're giving her. First of all, there's always the possibility that she doesn't have a power. Second, if she does, she's most likely **not** going to have a host of new abilities. It starts to get a little far-fetched with multiple powers.

Twilight characters don't swear very often. If you're trying to write like Stephenie Meyer (and I'm sure most of you are,) then I would recommend putting the swearing at a minimum.

Edward will probably not suddenly decide that he's going to fulfill Bella's conditions before they get married. The only reason that he would turn her into a vampire before they got married is if she was going to die. And as for the other condition, he's reluctant enough as it is. There's not a whole lot that could convince him to do that before they are joined in holy matrimony.

Emmett is not an insane child! Sure, he may enjoy the occasional practical joke, but he has how many years of life experience? He's not jokes all the time, and he is actually rather smart.

Along the same lines, Alice is not as shopping crazed as many writers are making her out to be. Yes, she likes to buy things. Yes, she probably has more money right now than you and I will have altogether in our entire lives. Yes, she has a sense of fashion and is always getting Bella clothes. But she can be serious. That's not all that she thinks about.

**That's all for now, hope these help.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**Review, tell me what you think, tell me what you think I should include on these lists. Check out my actual story if you have time. I'd be happy to be a BETA reader for a few people if they want one.**

Have an original idea. It's one thing if you like an idea and put your own twist to it, but when half of the authors are writing about the same thing with almost exactly the same plot, it gets boring.

Rosalie isn't going to instantly go all gushy over Bella. Sure, she said she was going to try and like Bella more, but it will take time. It's not something instantaneous.

Start a new paragraph when a new person starts to talk.

Words such as 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're' may all be pronounced the same, but they mean different things. Make sure you're using your homonyms correctly.

What I said last chapter about Emmett and Alice only applies if you're trying for something a little more serious.

It's irking to see a whole song's worth of lyrics posted in a story. If people care that much, they'll go look it up. If you're writing a songfic, it's okay. That's the point of a songfic.

**Make sure you let me know if you have any ideas for me.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't think it will ever be mine.**

**Still angering people, I see. Ah, well. I'm still just trying to help. **

I don't mean to make you guys feel like you shouldn't be creative, because you should. The fact is, the majority of us are trying to write like Stephenie Meyer, and it just wouldn't happen. Not to mention the fact that they're all over-used and clichéd.

There seem to be quite a few fanfics out there with no end punctuation. There are no periods, commas, exclamation points, or question marks on the end of some sentences, which detracts from the quality of the story.

When you write a number out for whatever reason, whether it's how many cantaloupes Bella is buying or the number of times Edward overreacts in one day, if it's ten or under, you should spell it out.

Revise, revise, revise. Unless you're sure that your first copy is very good, look at it again. If you're trying to write what Edward's speaking, think about how he would talk versus Bella.

Make sure you have little details right. It doesn't seem like such a big deal, but people will catch you for it. If you say Edward used to have blue eyes instead of green, someone will realize it.

Read it out loud. You're more likely to catch your own errors that way.

Bella is not going to fall for Jacob. I'm sure Jacob will find his own soul mate, but it's not Bella. She is in love with Edward, and, as much as she would like to still be friends with him, she knows it's unlikely.

**I realize that a lot of these go for writing in general, not just Twilight fanfics. That's not such a bad thing, though, is it?**


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for your nice reviews and I'm glad if this helps even one person improve their writing.


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